Answer :
this would be a right triangle with the legs being 8 miles and 6 miles. using the Pythagorean theorem, the hypotenuse would be 10 miles long. therefore, he would be walking a total of four miles less if he walked diagonally.
8 + 6 = 14
Find the hypotenuse of the triangle.
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Where 'a' and 'b' are the two legs and 'c' is the hypotenuse.
Plug in what we know:
6^2 + 8^2 = c^2
Simplify the exponents:
36 + 64 = c^2
Add:
100 = c^2
Find the square root of both sides:
c = 10
14 - 10 = 4
So walking diagonally across will be 4 miles shorter than walking around the edges.
Find the hypotenuse of the triangle.
a^2 + b^2 = c^2
Where 'a' and 'b' are the two legs and 'c' is the hypotenuse.
Plug in what we know:
6^2 + 8^2 = c^2
Simplify the exponents:
36 + 64 = c^2
Add:
100 = c^2
Find the square root of both sides:
c = 10
14 - 10 = 4
So walking diagonally across will be 4 miles shorter than walking around the edges.
